July  1,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
with  a  few  Orchids  of  great  merit  (silver-gilt  Banksian  medal).  Messrs. 
J.  Veitch  &  Sons  sent  baskets  of  Indigofera  decora  alba,  Escallonia 
Phillipiana,  Cytisus  nigricans,  Bobinia  hispida,  Diervilla  sessilifolia,  and 
Calycanthui  Isevigatus,  together  with  a  box  of  Khododendron  javanico- 
jasminiflorum  hybrids. 
Ceetificates  and  Awards  op  Merit. 
Adiantum  fasciculatwn  (H.  B.  May). — A  graceful  form,  with  rather 
thin,  tall-growing  fronds  (first-class  certificate). 
Begonia  Lady  Pearson  (J.  Laing  &  Sons). — A  beautiful  double 
variety,  with  pure  scarlet  flowers  (award  of  merit). 
Calochortus  clavatus  (R.  Wallace  &  Co.  and  C.  J,  Van  Tubergen, 
jun.). — A  very  beautiful  flower,  the  colour  is  rich  yellow  (award  of 
merit). 
Carnation  Haidee  (C.  Blick).  —  A  fine  deep  heliotrope  coloured 
variety,  of  splendid  substance  (award  of  merit). 
Carnation  Hampden  (C.  Blick.) — A  lovely  rosy  buS  variety,  with 
medium  sized  flowers  (award  of  merit). 
Cypripedium  Mrs.  E.  y.  Lowe  (H.  Low  &  Co.) . — A  chastely  coloured 
form  with  white  petals  spotted  with  crimson.  The  dorsal  sepal  is  green 
at  the  base,  spotted  brown,  and  with  a  broad  white  margin.  The  pouch 
is  pale  greenish  white  (award  of  merit). 
Lcelio-Cattleya  Endora  superba{3,  Veitch  &  Sons). — This  is  a  form 
that  is  in  all  respects  an  improvement  on  the  type.  The  colour  is 
superb  (first-class  certificate). 
Pink  Albino  (J.  Lamb). — A  fragrant  white  variety,  with  smooth 
petals  (an  award  of  merit). 
Rose  Kaiserin  Augusta  Victoria  (Paul  &  Son). — This  Rose  is  now 
too  well  known  to  need  any  description  (award  of  merit). 
Ro>e  Madame  A.  Chatenay  (Paul  &  Son), — A  lovely  Hybrid  Tea. 
The  colour  is  pale  salmon  rose  flushed  with  very  pale  buff  (award  of 
merit). 
Rose  Marquise  Litta  (W.  Paul  &  Son). — A  fine  rich  rose  coloured 
Hybrid  Tea  (award  of  merit).  ' 
Rose  Souvenir  de  President  Carnot  (Paul  &  Son). — A  superb  Hybrid 
Tea,  with  blooms  of  beautiful  shape.  The  colour  is  very  delicate  rosy 
white  (award  of  merit). 
Strawberry  Mentmore  (Laxton  Bros,). — A  handsome  Strawberry, 
resulting  from  a  cross  between  Noble  and  British  Queen.  The  colour  is 
very  deep  and  the  flavour  fair  (award  of  merit). 
Tkuia  gigantea  aurea  (J.  Veitch  &  Sons). — A  superb  golden  formed 
variety  of  the  well-known  type  (first-class  certificate). 
FRUIT  CROPS  IN  IRELAND. 
The  very  sharp  weather  we  bad  during  the  months  of  April  and 
May  left  the  prospect  of  a  good  fruit  crop  in  this  part  of  Ireland  far 
from  good.  Apricots  except  where  protected  are  a  failure  ;  Pears,  Cherries 
and  Plums  a  light  crop,  Morello  Cherries  especially.  Apples  on  walls 
have  set  well,  Ribston  Pippins  carrying  a  heavy  crop.  In  the  open 
Pear  and  Plum  trees  have  very  few  fruits  on  them,  some  having  none, 
although  all  flowered  abundantly.  Damsons  are  a  complete  failure. 
Apples  are  irregular,  some  trees  being  heavily  laden,  and  others  having 
very  few  fruits  on  them.  Outside  Figs  are  a  heavy  crop,  and  very 
early. 
Small  fruits,  with  the  exception  of  Gooseberries,  are  a  very  heavy 
crop.  I  never  saw  Strawberries  and  Raspberries  so  promising,  the  rain  for 
the  past  three  weeks  having  done  them  much  good  ;  the  berries  of  the 
Strawberry  are  very  large  on  account  of  it.  Royal  Sovereign,  Noble,  and 
JohnRuskin  were  ripe  the  sametime(June  16th)on  a  south  border.  Leader 
a  few  days  later.  Others  which  do  well  and  will  ripen  in  the  order  named 
are  Sensation,  Lord  Suffield,  Empress  of  India,  Auguste  Nicaise, 
Monarch,  President,  Bothwell  Bank,  Sir  J.  Paxton,  Dr.  Hogg,  Scarlet 
Queen,  and  Latest  of  All.  The  last  named  is  only  in  flower  (June  20th) 
in  the  open  border.  It  grows  strongly  and  produces  runners  freely, 
though  several  complaints  have  been  heard  about  it  in  those  respects. 
Currants  are  a  heavy  crop,  the  bunches  being  extra  long.  Gooseberries 
are  a  light  crop  in  most  gardens.  Under  glass  all  fruits  look  promising, 
— W.  T.,  Tullamore. 
A  VISIT  TO  SUTTON’S. 
Arriving  at  Reading  on  the  eve  of  the  Royal  Counties  Agricultural 
Show,  and  being  too  late  to  secure  a  comfortable  bed,  I  naturally 
did  not  feel  inclined  to  linger  on  the  couch  in  the  smoking  room  any 
longer  than  necessary,  so  having  performed  my  toilette  set  out  to  visit 
Messrs.  Sutton’s  nurseries  by  way  of  a  constitutional  previous  to  visiting 
the  show. 
One  of  the  first  things  that  attracted  my  attention  was  the  mag¬ 
nificent  show  of  Gloxinias,  which  were  grandly  flowered,  and  which  do 
the  firm  so  much  credit.  A  very  beautiful  variety  is  the  pure  white 
Her  Majesty.  Duke  and  Duchess  of  York  and  Sutton’s  Purple  are  grand 
varieties,  and  stand  out  very  distinctly  in  a  collection.  The  “  French  ” 
strain  of  spotted  varieties  has  been  much  improved  by  this  firm,  and 
many  novelties  of  sterling  merit  are  to  be  seen. 
But  I  must  also  say  a  few  words  about  the  Begonias,  Streptocarpus, 
and  Calceolarias.  Begonias  are  very  largely  grown,  long  ranges  of 
houses  and  frames  are  filled  by  thousands  of  plants  looking  in  the  best 
possible  condition.  The  flowering  houses  contained  many  charming 
varieties  of  doubles  and  singles,  of  erect  dwarf  habit,  and  sturdy  growth. 
The  double  named  varieties  were  certainly  amongst  the  finest  I 
have  seen.  The  single  varieties  were  scarcely  'so  forward,  but  those 
commencing  to  flower  clearly  prove  that  they  were  first  rate.  Strepto¬ 
carpus  were  grandly  flowered  and  in  good  variety  ;  the  blues,  lilacs  and 
reds  prove  that  it  is  a  strain  of  excellence,  the  curious  Streptocarpus 
Wendlandi  being  quite  at  home,  and  I  think  will  prove  wonderfully 
useful  for  grouping  purposes. 
Calceolarias  are  very  largely  grown  for  seed.  The  strain  contains 
many  beautiful  colours,  and  is  very  dwarf,  compact,  and  of  strong  con¬ 
stitution.  Cloth  of  Gold  interspersed  amongst  them  had  a  telling  effect. 
I  did  not  see  one  poor  variety.  Time  fails  me  to  enlarge  upon  what  I 
saw  at  Messrs.  Sutton’s,  but  I  will  warrant  anyone  who  contemplates  a 
visit  that  he  will  be  quite  satisfied  that  he  has  used  the  time  tojgood 
account. — H.  Prosser,  The  Knoll  Gardens,  Wimborne.  ,  ~  ^ 
HOYA  BELLA. 
One  of  the  most  charming  little  plants  for  the  stove  is  Hoya  bella. 
It  is  a  diminutive  and  delicate  counterpart  of  the  well-known  Hoya 
carnosa,  and  like  its  equally  pretty  relative,  H.  Paxtoni,  is  much  better 
suited  than  the  old  species  for  a  shelf  near  the  glass  in  the  stove,  as 
they  are  both  dwarf  and  compact  in  habit,  with  small  umbels  of  flowers. 
These  two  speqies  have  long  been  great  favourites  with  me,  as  they 
produce  a  charming  display  of  flowers,  and  I  find  they  are,  when  well 
grown,  invariably  admired.  Similar  treatment  suits  them  both — namely, 
a  compost  of  peat,  sand,  and  finely  broken  charcoal,  the  pots  being 
thoroughly  drained.  A  warm  position  is  required  where  the  plants  can 
be  fully  exposed  to  the  light,  otherwise  they  are  liable  to  become 
sickly  and  unsatisfactory. 
H.  bella  (fig.  1)  has  been  in  cultivation  many  years,  and  might  be 
expected  to  be  in  almost  every  collection  of  plants  ;  but  such  is  by  no 
means  the  case,  for  I  know  many  gardens  of  more  than  ordinary 
pretensions  where  it  is  not  grown,  and  why  this  should  be  I  entirely 
fail  to  understand.  This  neglect  of  a  beautiful  plant  is  strange, 
for  when  its  delicate  wax-like  white  flowers  with  their  rich  purple 
central  rays  are  fully  expanded  the  plant  is  unrivalled  except  by 
its  near  relative,  H.  Paxtoni.  The  neat  trusses  of  flowers  are  invalu¬ 
able  for  cutting  when  something  particularly  choice  is  required. — 
R.  Thomson. 
